UK
Foreign Office draws up plan to evacuate Brits from Israel
Impending Iranian attack and escalation of violence in the region prompt exit plans
August 14, 2024 15:30
Impending Iranian attack and escalation of violence in the region prompt exit plans
August 14, 2024 15:30The Foreign Office (FCDO) is drawing up plans to evacuate Britons from Israel amid concerns that an Iranian attack is imminent, the Mirror reported on Wednesday.
Israel is bracing for a reprisal from Iran after the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran last month.
The FCDO currently advises against all travel to areas near Gaza, the West Bank and Northern Israel, and advises against all but essential travel to the rest of the country.
The Mirror reported that the FCDO was considering the deployment of emergency flights to and from Israel if all commercial flights are suspended due to a worsening of the crisis. Many international airlines, including the Lufthansa Group and United Airlines, have already suspended flights to Tel Aviv and Beirut.
Last week, ministers urged UK nationals in Lebanon to leave while commercial options ewre still available as Foreign Secretary David Lammy cautioned that “the situation could deteriorate rapidly.”
“While we are working round the clock to strengthen our consular presence in Lebanon, my message to British nationals there is clear – leave now,” Lammy said in a statement.
“A widening of this conflict is in nobody’s interest – the consequences could be catastrophic. That’s why we continue to call for de-escalation and a diplomatic solution.”
It was revealed last week that the Royal Navy and Marines were planning a “Dunkirk-style” rescue of some 16,000 Britons stranded in Lebanon over fears that Israel would bomb the country and its international airport, which was attacked during the 2006 war.
According to The Times, hundreds of military personnel have already been deployed to RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus, and hundreds more are on standby in the UK as the country prepares for a coordinated attack against Israel that would likely include several Iranian-backed proxies in the region.
A government source told The Times that they expected Israel to “go hard” in its bombardment of Lebanon, widening its strikes beyond the frequently targeted areas in the south and moving closer to areas such as Dahiyeh, the Hezbollah stronghold in Beirut.
During a rare phone call with new Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian earlier this week, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer expressed his deep concern over the situation and “called on all parties to de-escalate and avoid further regional confrontation”.
The situation in the Middle East is deeply concerning.
— Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) August 12, 2024
This evening, I spoke to Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian about the need for all parties to de-escalate to avoid further confrontation.
Now is the time for calm. pic.twitter.com/LeiDX1SE8D
He called on Iran to refrain from attacking Israel, and the leaders agreed “that a constructive dialogue between the UK and Iran was in both countries’ interests.”
However, Pezeshkian told Starmer that retaliation against Israel “is a right,” according to Iran's official IRNA news agency.
“The support of some Western countries for the Zionist regime is irresponsible and contrary to international standards since it endangers regional security by encouraging the Zionist regime to continue its crimes,' Pezeshkian reportedly told Starmer.
The phone call followed the release of a joint statement from leaders of the UK, US, France, Germany, and Italy that expressed support for “the defence of Israel against Iranian aggression and against attacks by Iran-backed terrorist groups,” and called on Iran “to stand down its ongoing threats of a military attack against Israel.”
The FCDO has been contacted for comment.